An earthquake in a northwest region of China destroyed 2,100 houses and left 8,000 people homeless, Xinhua news agency said Sunday.

The earthquake measuring 5.7 points on the Richter scale rocked northwest China's Xinjiang Yugur autonomous region, on the border with Kazakhstan, Friday.

According to Xinhua, no casualties have yet been reported in the quake.



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The earthquake jolted Tekes county, with its epicenter in a mountainous region some 430 km (270 miles) from Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, Xinhua said.

Rescuers evacuated 8,250 persons as their houses, mostly made of mud brick, were either destroyed or became dangerous, Xinhua said.